Hidden Halloween Happenings
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: Instead of leading a troll into the castle, Quirrell visits Hogsmeade together with his guest on Halloween in Harry's first Hogwarts year, and Harry will notice the consequences very soon. Completely AU! Just a meaningless drabble for your entertainment :P


**Hidden Halloween Happenings**  
><strong>by Healer Pomfrey<strong>

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
>I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.<em>

* * *

><p>Harry Potter tiredly let himself sink into bed after a long and enjoyable Halloween Feast in his first Hogwarts year. <em>'That was fun, the twins are really comical,'<em> he thought, as he drifted off to sleep with a smile playing on his lips.

However, his sleep should not remain undisturbed for long. All of a sudden, he heard someone laugh aloud, right in his own head. _'What's that?'_ he thought, horrified.

'After ten long years as a spirit, I finally have my own body, and I'm going to use it much better,' he heard someone think, and the person was obviously over the moon with joy.

_'Oh stop laughing,'_ Harry thought, moaning in agony.

'Hello? Who is there?' the voice thought back.

'I'm Harry, and who are you? You're laughing right in my head and it hurts,' Harry replied, gripping his head with both hands.

'Harry as in Harry Potter?' the man enquired, sharply.

'Yes,' Harry confirmed, miserably. _'Who's that and why is he right in my mind?'_ he wondered, horrified.

'I'm sorry, I'll let you sleep now, and I'll think about something,' the voice promised, before it quietened down enough, so that Harry was able to slowly relax.

HP

By the time he had to get up in order to not miss the first morning class, Harry still had a headache and felt extremely tired. _'I wonder what that was last night,'_ he thought. _'Maybe it was only a dream.'_

When he entered the Defence classroom for the last morning class, he noticed two things. First of all, the professor was not stuttering anymore and secondly, his scar exploded in pain much worse than before, even if the professor did not come near him.

To his relief, the professor paired him with Neville, who was sensitive enough to realise that Harry was not his usual self and put no magic into the spell that he had to cast against his friend.

Harry sighed in relief when the class was over, thanked Neville profusely for his consideration and informed his friends that he was going back to his dormitory for a nap during lunchtime.

"I'll wake you up in time for Transfiguration," Hermione promised after casting him a concerned look.

_'Thank Merlin they didn't ask anything,'_ Harry thought, as he lay down, hoping that his headache would recede soon. However, before he could fall asleep, the voice from the previous night penetrated his mind.

'Harry?' it addressed him in a relatively soft voice.

'Yes?' Harry replied, inwardly groaning.

'Does your scar hurt, when you come near me?' the voice queried, making the boy sit up in shock.

'Who are you?' he enquired in a firm voice.

'I'm sorry,' the man said, unexpectedly. 'I'm Tom. I'm the one who killed your parents. Wait,' he added, apparently feeling Harry's sudden bout of anger. 'Please believe me that I regret what I did, but Dumbledore drove me to doing such things. Last night, I managed to take over Quirrell's body. Finally, after ten years, I have a body, and I intend to do everything better now. I just need to get rid of Dumbledore, and then I'll try to help you.'

'No thanks,' Harry replied, enraged. 'Leave my head and don't dare to ever speak with me again.'

'Harry, wait, let me explain,' Tom countered. 'You're connected with me through your scar, but I can take it off you if that's what you wish, and I promise I won't harm you.'

'You already harmed me enough by killing my parents. I had a crappy childhood with my relatives,' Harry gave back.

'I know, and I'm going to remedy that,' Tom promised in a strangely calm voice. 'Dumbledore made up a fake prophecy that says that we have to kill each other. That's why I went after you when you were a baby, but in the meantime, I have understood that he only made it up, because he's afraid that we're more powerful than him, which I am and you will be, and together we're unbeatable.'

'I don't care,' Harry replied in confusion.

'You'll see,' Tom said, sighing. 'Anyway, I'm going to get rid of Dumbledore...'

'You can't kill him,' Harry countered. 'You just told me that you have become a better person now. And what happened to Quirrell by the way?'

Tom chuckled. 'I helped his spirit to occupy another body, a most fitting one,' he admitted. 'Oh by the way, don't tell anyone of our conversation. Officially, I am Professor Quirrell now and I'd appreciate it if it remained this way.'

'If you behave, I won't tell,' Harry promised, 'but don't kill Dumbledore or I will.'

'Don't worry, I won't,' Tom replied, chuckling. 'I'll think of something else to get rid of him. In case you go to his office, don't eat any lemon drops in any case,' he warned the boy, before he excused himself, stating that the first afternoon class was going to commence in a few minutes.

HP

Only when he felt Tom quieten down, Harry heard Hermione shout his name.

"Harry, are you all right?" the girl asked in apparent concern, and a cool hand felt his forehead. "You're a bit warm. Are you ill?" she enquired.

"I'm fine," Harry replied, sighing. "Just a headache, ever since Defence."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You really need to tell someone about it," she said in a firm voice. "Now do you feel well enough to attend classes? Transfiguration is going to commence in five minutes."

"Sure," Harry replied and hurriedly got up, grabbing his book bag and throwing his robes over as he followed the girl out of the dormitory.

HP

The afternoon classes passed in a blur for Harry, who was unable to divert his thoughts from his conversation with Tom.

_'He's my parents' murderer,'_ his mind screamed.

_'But he sounds nice,'_ he thought, feeling very confused. He did not even notice that his friends were watching him like hawks and that Hermione went to speak with their head of house right after dinner, which he had spent drinking several glasses of pumpkin juice and playing with his fork.

After dinner, Harry obediently did his homework together with his friends in order to not attract any unnecessary attraction. _'I just hope Tom will let me sleep tonight, even if I've many questions,'_ he thought, when he finally retreated to bed.

To his relief, Tom only thought to him, 'I won't disturb you tonight, as you need your sleep, but you also need to eat at mealtimes, and don't worry, everything will get better soon.'

HP

Nevertheless, sleep did not come easily for Harry. Somehow, he still did not feel overly well and drifted in and out of a restless sleep, before he decided to go for a walk around midnight.

He quietly scurried through the empty halls and stole himself down the large staircase, only to stop dead in his tracks, when he heard voices coming from the corridor leading to the hospital wing right below himself. _'Snape and McGonagall,'_ he realised and remained where he was, trying to prevent himself from making any sound.

"Minerva, I don't trust Quirinus," Snape said in a relatively soft voice.

McGonagall sighed. "I know, Severus, especially if it's true what Ms. Granger told us, that Harry's getting headaches in his presence," she added.

"That can only mean that he's possessed by the Dark Lord," Snape replied, thoughtfully. "Above that, he suddenly isn't stuttering anymore. How can someone stop stuttering from one minute to the next?"

"Apparently, on Halloween night, he went to visit someone who cast a spell on him," McGonagall explained, calmly. "He even showed Albus the memory in his Pensieve. That's why he didn't attend the Halloween feast."

"Maybe but anyhow, someone must have tampered Albus' lemon drops," Snape continued, "and in my opinion, he's the number one culprit. As to the memory, the Dark Lord is a master of manipulation and a much better Legilimens than Albus."

"Will Albus ever get his memories back?" McGonagall asked in concern.

Snape remained pensive for a moment, before he said, slowly, "Frankly speaking, I don't think so. You should probably prepare yourself to become the new headmistress during the next few days."

_'Did Tom obliviate Dumbledore?'_ Harry wondered, as he soundlessly made his way back to Gryffindor, deep in thoughts.

HP

It was still very early in the morning, when Harry was pulled into a strange dream. He found himself in the staff room, where all the teachers except for the headmaster were gathered. McGonagall greeted everyone, wearing a grave expression.

"Albus suddenly lost his complete memories," she explained, sighing. "Poppy and a few specialists from St. Mungo's have been working on him the whole night, but it seems to be irreparable. Therefore, they have taken Albus to the long-time ward of the hospital. We now urgently need to agree on a new headmaster or headmistress." She let her eyes wander around the room, before she queried, "Any suggestions?"

"You, Minerva," Professor Sprout was the first to reply, and everyone else with the exception of Professor Trelawney nodded their heads.

"Very well then," McGonagall agreed. "I shall inform the Ministry and the Board of Governors accordingly. "Who would be willing to become my deputy?"

"Maybe Quirinus?" Flitwick suggested. "Pomona, Severus and I are too busy as heads of the houses."

"Quirinus?" McGonagall queried and, after a glance at the Potions Master, gave the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor a questioning look.

"If you deem me adequate to fill this post, I will," Quirrell replied, calmly.

Everyone agreed, although Snape did not seem overly convinced.

"Just allow me one question," he spoke up, turning to the new deputy headmaster. "How come that Mr. Potter's head always hurts in your class?"

Quirrell cast the Potions Master a surprised look, before he replied, "I have no idea about that, but I believe that the boy is ill. Did none of you notice that he didn't eat anything at the meals during the last few days if he attended them at all?"

McGonagall shot him an alarmed look, before she announced that she'd like to conclude the meeting.

HP

Harry inwardly groaned, knowing that his head of house was surely going to make a fuss about him. Setting up the healthiest expression possible, he followed his friends to the Great Hall and forced himself to eat at least a few bites of the delicious breakfast. However, all of a sudden, a violent shiver shook his body, and he noticed that he felt really ill. This did not go unnoticed by his friends.

"Harry, you're ill," Hermione whispered. "Let me take you to the hospital wing."

Before Harry could even consider if he should protest or simply agree, McGonagall strode over to the Gryffindor table and instructed him, "Come with me Mr. Potter."

HP

Twenty minutes later, Harry found himself in a comfortable bed in the hospital wing with the instruction to sleep for the rest of the day in order to be up and about again in the morning.

'Harry,' he heard the voice a little while later. 'I'm sorry for making you ill, but I had to make them believe that your headache came from something else than our connection. Plus I need some time alone with you during the night. Give me some time, as I have to teach my classes, but tonight I'll come and cut off the connection,' Tom promised.

'Okay,' Harry replied, tiredly, wondering how Tom could have given him the Flobberworm flu. _'He probably spelled a potion into my pumpkin juice,'_ he mused, before he succumbed to the potions and drifted off to sleep.

Several hours later, he once again was pulled into a vision. Again, the teachers were having a staff meeting, and McGonagall informed her colleagues that the Ministry and the Board of Governors had approved her as the new headmistress.

Suddenly, Quirrell spoke up. "Minerva, I believe that one of the first tasks as the new headmistress should be to gain the guardianship over Harry Potter. This afternoon, I have witnessed a few of his nightmares, and it is obvious that he was not only neglected but also abused by his relatives. You should remedy the guardianship matter, now that Albus can't prevent you from taking in the child."

"Oh yes, that's true," McGonagall agreed, while her colleagues nodded their consent.

HP

When Pomfrey checked on the boy a little while later, Harry was fast asleep with a smile on his face.

Unbeknownst to Harry and the healer, a visitor came in the middle of the night and cast a dark spell at the boy that made him moan in agony, before he quietened again and continued to sleep.

HP

In the morning, Professor McGonagall hesitantly entered the hospital wing to see if the boy was already awake and tell him the good news that she was now his guardian in the magical and the Muggle world.

However, to her surprise, Harry was not only awake, he was completely engrossed in a conversation with the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, who was sitting on a chair at his bedside.

Neither able to comprehend the situation nor wanting to disturb the two wizards, the headmistress went straight to the healer's office.

"Good morning Poppy," she said in confusion. "I don't understand why Harry is together with Quirinus. I thought his head always hurt when he was together with Quirinus."

"I'm not sure what happened," her friend replied, calmingly. "However, when I checked on Harry earlier, I noticed that his scar is gone. Come with me, Minnie, I'm going to release Harry now anyway."

HP

_'Everything is like a dream,'_ Harry thought, as he entered his guardian's office, as he had been instructed, after breakfast on Saturday morning. _'I feel so much better now with my scar gone, and I have a proper guardian and won't have to return to the Dursleys' anymore. I'm so happy.'_

To his surprise, his guardian was not present in the headmistress' office, only her deputy.

"Harry, come and take a seat," Quirrell greeted him, smiling. "Minerva had to go to the Ministry for a while, but she'll be back shortly."

"Thanks Professor," Harry replied, as he let himself sink into the empty seat next to his former nemesis.

"Now are you already missing our silent conversations?" Quirrell queried, quirking an eyebrow.

"No Professor, or should I say Tom?" Harry answered, chuckling. "I've never felt so well, while I had that stupid scar. Thanks a lot for removing it."

"You're welcome Harry. I have to thank you for removing the Dark Mark from my former followers' arms."

"You're welcome," Harry replied, smiling.

"Excuse me," Dumbledore suddenly spoke up from his portrait behind McGonagall's desk. "You're not really Quirinus, but you're Voldemort, is that correct?"

"No, he's not Voldemort anymore. He's Quirinus Quirrell now," Harry replied, sincerely.

"Harry, he's the one who killed your parents," Dumbledore said in a grave voice.

"I know that, Professor, but he only did it because you suggested for him to go after me for a fake prophecy," Harry replied in an upset tone, "and he arranged for me to get away from my horrible relatives, with whom no other than you placed me."

"What did you do to Quirinus Quirrell?" Dumbledore queried, turning to the Defence professor.

"The spirit who was living in this body before, is now occupying the body of your brother Aberforth's goat," Quirrell explained, chuckling.

Harry couldn't help grinning at the idea of a goat that was stuttering like his former Defence teacher. _'Oh well,'_ he thought, as he observed his guardian step out of the fireplace, _'a lot happened this Halloween, but for me it was definitely good.'_

**The End**

_Thanks to the kind readers who have bought my novel The Moon Whisperer (link on my profile page). My Advent's Calendar story 2014 will be a crossover between Harry Potter and the Moon Whisperer._


End file.
